Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-02

President Daiz plans for Worlds Exhi-
bition, then being considered in Mexico
During this visit President Dali and Secre-
tary OF the Treasury Romero requested
Mr.. owen, who is q practical engineer, to
prepare plans and form companyto drain
the valley. This be did, and also sub
mitted a proposition 10 build a national
railway system, which was fayorably con-
sidered. Colonel Owen accordingly formed
syndicate, with General Torbet at its
head, and in August of 1880 sailed from
New York to inaugurate the public works
of Mexico. On the 26th ofthat month the
steamer was wrecked by cyclone, and
were drowned. Mr. Owen was cast upon
the Florfda coast, after being twenty-five
hours in the water Even this did not
dampen his ardor, and he Immediately SET
about organizing another syndicate. But
the enforced delay proved fatal to his
hopes; other companies obtained conces-
slons and introduced into Mexico the
United States system of railroads and
banking
And year by year the drainage of the
valley is becoming more imperative ne
cessity, and the death rate of the city
steadily mounts higher in the scale. Every
now and then the papers take up the cry,
or somebody comes along with a new
scheme-but nothing ever comes of it. The
Cleveland capitalists will adopt different
plan from any tried heretofore, vie that of
TUNNELLIYG UNDER THE MOUNTAINS.
They propose to construct a canal clear
across the valley and this contract is for
portion of its excavation. Some idea of
the magnitude of the undertaking may be
gained from the fact that the valley itself
Is 40 miles long and 81 miles wide, and
heaven only knows how long tunnel will
be required to pierce one of these stu
penduous mountains. The contract which
these Americans have already obtained is
for portion of the excavations, and is
worth about q million dollars. They hope
TO get the remainder of the work, as it is
said that the Bacyrus Company's dredgers
are peculiarly adapted to it. The whole
undertaking is worth nearly $1,000 900. 1t
will take several years to complete it native
labor being utilized, under the control of
American engineers.
And after all this expense and trouble,
there is serious danger that the accom-
plishment of the undertaking will hasten
the extinction of the city in one sudden
and irremediable catastrophe As long
ago as when that eminent authority, Baron
humboldt, studied and wrote upon this
subject, he declared that if the water,
which really holds the basin up, were
drained from beneath it, the whole city
would sink into utter ruin. This idea that
the drawing off of the superabundance of
water, which now largely composes the
subsoil of the valley, would create.
vacuum in the earth into which the city
would fall, will now be urged more strenu-
ously than ever by property owners against
any proposed system of drainsge, because
the recent earthquake so cracked and
bear much settling" Not long ago
Congressional Committee was appointed 10
investigate and report upon the subject. |
give you rerbdtiA, an interview with one of
them
" You voted against the concession nay
| ask for what reason ?"
My princiI al objection was that if the
water was drawn off the city will sink.
Water is as good sustainer and will carry
as much weight as any solid, so the City of
Mexico, in fact does ride on lake. more
or less deep, more or less occupied by
rocks. II is noticeable that earthquakes
do little damage when they visit this city,
because the soil on which it is built is so
verely as it would if built on solid rock
If all this water were drawn off by drain
age, what would prevent the city from set
ting, or from tumbling about our ears in
ruins? Imagine the Cathedral sinking
even one foot That would be sufficient
to bring down its old domes and pillars
and burying the worshipers. The north
end of the College of Mines has settled now
as much as it safely can. l could name
hundreds of buildings here that would
TUMBLE INTO COMPLETE WRECKS
If only two inches of water were draw off. ~
Would the drainage make the valley
too dry?"
Some think so, and that we would then
have no rain at all. For my part, believe
if forests were planted in the suburbs, we
would not suffer. / would not, you I'M
derstand, advocate the drainage of the
higher lakes, Xochimilio and Chalco in
any case, for their presence is necessary for
the rainfall, for the flushing of the sewers
and the preservation of the pure atmos-
phere."
What do you think of the old
Viceroy's plan for removing the Capital to
the foothills of TacItaya ?"
That was the time to have done it; t
would be difficult now, if not impossible"
= You believe do you not, that the con-
tinuance of the city is threatened by
TexcC co and the present state of things"
''Of course | do
We'll, what other remedy would you
suggest ~
Quien sabe (who knows),' replied the
Congressman in the language of his land
the usual way of dismissing an unguessabie
conundrum.
Therefore if any inventive genius, from
Ohio or elsewhere. knows the secret of
draining this incompatible valley without
collapsing the buildings, he will rescue
from serious predicament what should
become the finest and healthiest city in the
world, as well as one of the most beautiful,
and win the eternal gratitude of its in
habitants. FANNIE B. WARD.